Bengal administration mute spectator to post-poll violence: RSS

West Bengal has seen a spate of violent incidents largely targeting political workers and party offices and at least 14 people are said to have lost their life in these incidents since Sunday.

The RSS on Friday accused the West Bengal administration of being a “mute spectator” to post-poll violence in the state and said the police did not take any initiative to stop rioters.

Following TMC’s thumping victory in the recently concluded Assembly polls, West Bengal has seen a spate of violent incidents largely targeting political workers and party offices. At least 14 people are said to have lost their life in these incidents since Sunday.

“The violence unleashed state wide, soon after the election results came out, is not only highly condemnable but appears to be well conspired also…. That the role of state administrative machinery was completely passive and they remained mute spectators was the most heinous part of this unabated and inhuman violence. Neither the rioters are seemed to be afraid of anything nor is there any initiative by the state police and administration to control the violence,” RSS sar-karyawah Dattatreya Hosabale said in a statement.

Hosabale’s statement comes at a time when the Centre has mounted pressure on the Mamata Banerjee government over the violence in the state and a central team of bureaucrats is currently camping in the state on a fact-finding mission.

“The anti social elements active in this abhorring violence, misbehaved with womenfolk in most barbaric and despicable manner, brutally killed the innocent people and torched the houses, shamelessly looted the shops and malls; and, as a result of the unabated violence, thousands of people including a large number brethren of scheduled castes and tribes, who became shelterless, were forced to go in search of refuge to save their lives and honour. Everywhere from Coochbehar to Sundarbans, there is a widespread fear psychosis among the common people,” Hosabale said.

Condemning the violence, he said the foremost responsibility of any government was to maintain law and order. “We demand the newly elected government of West Bengal, as its top priority, to effectively establish rule of law by immediately containing violence, to initiate legal action against culprits by arresting them without further delay and also to instil a feeling of safety and confidence in the minds of affected people, and to take necessary steps for their rehabilitation,” Hosabale said.

He also urged upon the Centre to “take necessary and all possible steps to establish peace in West Bengal”.

Acknowledging that in an election, opposing sides sometimes cross the limits in making allegations and counter-allegations, Hosabale said, “The electoral victory belongs to political parties, but the elected government is accountable to the entire society.”

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